I blog about my jewelry inspirations. Readers will find that various elements of nature are my inspirations. Of course, I include jewelry making tips. This blog also includes some of my favorite Etsy shops, bead shops and jewelry customers.

Friday, March 31, 2017

Spring everything is officially upon us, and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve loved running across so many pretty things on the web inspired by the fresh spring season. I want to share some spring faves with you.

Friday, March 24, 2017

I am happy to say I am part of the Bead Soup Blog Party of 2017 which is sponsored by Lori Anderson. This is a special edition --a Bead Hoarders edition. Our instructions were to open our hearts to hope and beauty and true gift-giving. We were to send our partner something he or she will love and will brightening their day. This is a blind trade. No discussion of colors, styles, etc. An interesting twist is that you need to send a note that tells who made the bead (if you know), the material (glass, clay, etc) or type of gemstone, and why you hoarded it.

We only had a few days to mail our bead or beads to our partner. My partner for this year's exchange is Bobbie Rafferty of Beadsong Jewelry. We have worked together before on as designers for ZnetShows Beads and our jewelry has been featured on their website and Creative Spark online magazines.

I was pretty excited to get my package in the mail. Truth be told, I am always excited to get beads. I love the lamp work focal that she sent me. I plan to use it in a necklace. The focal is perfect for a redo of a necklace that I made a long while ago that was lacking contrast of colors. In this reveal, you will see the before and after. I succeeded in brightening the necklace with adding red to it. The focal has a deep red which worked well in the design.

The original freshwater pearl necklace contains elements that I loved, but the necklace just didn't do them justice. I used stunning blister pearls, freshwater pearls, and jasper. There is a special green bead that is I made from high quality paper wrapped with gold and green threads. The focal pendant is pretty but added no additional colors. The necklace was brown and olive green. It needed another color to carry it to the next level.

The lampwork bead that Bobbie sent me was just what I needed to redo this necklace. The lampwork has a deep red, olive green and navy blue in it. I added a handmade green head pin, some brass bead cap to it. I also added additional red glass beads to the necklace to brighten it. I spaced the stunning blister pearls with small brown pearls. I kept the jasper and special handmade fiber and paper bead. I included a pretty polymer clay red rose by Leah Curtis. I turned this art necklace into a one of a kind gift for Mother's Day, an anniversary or birthday.

The navy beads that Bobbie sent were just what I needed to finish my second necklace. This earthy navy blue ceramic necklace is perfect for anyone who loves art jewelry. The dagger necklace has a rustic appearance and reminds me of the many green, and orange colors found in nature especially in Spring. I used navy blue Irish waxed linen thread to bring out the yellows and greens in the necklace. This long boho necklace has a bronze clasp that I made for this necklace.The ceramic leaf is by the well know ceramic artist Mary Harding. I love the earthy and rustic looks of her work and I have several pieces in my shop that have her ceramics in them.Thank you Bobbie for sending me just the right bead to transform a pretty necklace into a very special one.

A special thank you to Lori Anderson for organizing this!Please stop by the blog hop to see what other folks created.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

This month's We're All Ears challenge question is --What about the owls inspires you? Our challenge is to make earrings inspired by OWLS.As a group of birds, owls have been around for a long time. Owl fossils have been found that are 70–80 million years old. Today, members of the owl family can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Owls represent wisdom and truth with piercing eyes that are all-seeing, even in the darkest of nights. Silent, secret and majestic.

The piercing eyes on these silver owl beads remind me of the all-seeing of the owl and were the inspiration for this pair of handmade owl earrings. This copper owl jewelry has hand forged sterling silver ear wires along with the hammered copper discs. Both were handmade by me. The 14mm. round, antique copper beads are from BeachCastleBeads. I added a few crystals for a little sparkle.

photo credit :: https://unsplash.com/@johnrichdesign

Owls are mostly nocturnal, hunting at night when the other raptors are sleeping. Because of this, owls and other raptors can share a territory and tend to not compete with each other. When we think of owls, we think of being active at night. But even among the owls, enjoying the nightlife does not always mean the same thing. The barn owl and long-eared owl become active only after dark. In contrast, burrowing owls and pygmy owls are more likely to be diurnal — active during the day. And the great horned owl is crepuscular. This means that it is most active at dawn and dusk.

photo credit :: https://unsplash.com/@bedrock123

I find the wings of owls beautiful. Most owls have relatively large, rounded wings. The wings are broad, with a large surface area relative to the weight of the bird. This allows them to fly effortlessly, without too much flapping and loss of energy. They can glide easily and fly slowly for long periods of time. Many species use this slow flight to hunt ground-dwelling prey from the air.

Owls are known for their ability to fly nearly silently. This is because of the special shape to their wings and the structure of the feathers. Most birds make a sort of flapping, swooshing sound when they fly. But owls have special edge on the front of the wing that breaks air into small streams of wind that rolls to the end of the wing where the comb-like feathers further break the air into even smaller streams. This give them almost silent flight.

An owl at night is the inspiration for these black faux sea glass from ZnetShows and silver wing earrings from NinaDesigns. I hand forged the sterling silver ear wires on this pair of owl wing earrings. The black and silver earrings are about 1.5 inches long from the top of the ear wires to the bottom. These sterling silver earrings are stunning and fun gift for especially for a bird or nature lover.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Daffodils, narcissus, jonquils, March blooms, these terms all refer to the flower that comes back every spring on roadsides, hills, and flower gardens over a large part of the Northern Hemisphere. They are a part of the Amaryllis family, and many types grow wild. I've heard that people are seeing daffodil sprouts around my home town, which is exciting. The daffodils sightings means spring will be here soon!

With Spring arriving, we need to start thinking about additions to our fashion wardrobe especially if we are planning a spring getaway like so many do. Lots of us find a few days off each spring to recharge our batteries with a trip. Our thoughts turn to sunglasses, brighter colors, lighter clothes. I have put together a few ideas for some spring fashion updates.

Set of 3 Chick Eggs Painted Egg Gourds Spring Easter Eggs Blue Golden...etsy.comNow matter where you go on a spring getaway even if it is just your backyard, make time to enjoy the sight of spring flowers and the sounds of the birds. Relax and take some time for yourself. You survived another winter! If you know me, you will expect to find me at a beach somewhere. The beach is my happy place.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

1870
Oil On PaperMarianne North (1830-1890) was a remarkable Victorian artist. She travelled the world in order to satisfy her passion for recording the world's flora and fauna with her paintbrush. The result of these journeys can be seen in the Marianne North Gallery at Kew, Great Britain where many brightly colored paintings of flowers, landscapes, animals and birds are arranged. There are 832 paintings, all completed in 13 years of travel round the world.

Marianne was rare among women of this period. She traveled unaccompanied and visited areas virtually unknown to many Europeans. She was at her happiest when discovering plants and painting them. She spent nearly all of her time abroad in the wild, surrounded by the habitats and plants she captured in oil paint.

Her work is is permanent value because of its scientific accuracy. She documented plant life in all parts of the world, before photography was a practical option. Some of the plants she painted proved new to science and one genus and four species were named in her honor including the species Areca northiana, Crinum northianum, Kniphofia northiana, Nepenthes northiana, and the genus name Northia.

floral focal is by Mary Harding

When I saw this beautiful ceramic floral focal by Mary Harding, I new it was perfect for a necklace inspired by this painting. I was drawn to the golden yellows in the painting and focal. Harding's focal is the same bright shade. I thought it was a good choice for the necklace because of the color and the prominence of flowers in the painting.

The painting also has shades of blue in the sky and lots of tans and browns in the birds's nest as well as in the Acacia bush. Once again the focal by Harding is a good pick because it has some subtle blues in it. Marsha Neal's hand dyed blue silk along with blue stones pick up the blues in the painting. I used some tan ceramics, jasper beads, and brass to work in the browns, tans and beiges. I also added a brass leaf toggle to continue with the floral theme.

I think yellow and blue colors are perfect for the spring and summer. This floral necklace would make a lovely gift for Mother's Day. What are your thoughts?

Thursday, March 2, 2017

I have some Irish O'Hare blood in me so I like to make Celtic jewelry and decorate for Saint Patrick's Day. I want to share some of my favorite Irish picks for home decor and fashions with you. Are you ready for Saint Patrick's Day?

Being from a small town on the east coast of the United States, I enjoyed seeing the small coastal town of Howth, Ireland which is located along the northern boundary of Dublin Bay. The surrounding once-rural district is now a busy northern suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside.

No trip to Ireland is complete without a trip to a castle. I visited Malahide Castle and Gardens which is north of Howth. Malahide Castle has a long and rich history. The castle played a central role in Medieval Irish history. The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 12th century. The building was notably enlarged in the reign of Edward IV, and the towers added circa 1600-1650. The estate survived such losses as the Battle of the Boyne and the Penal Laws. It was home to the Talbot family for almost 800 years (1185 to 1975).

I do love chocolate so this shop "The Sweetest Thing" in Dublin made a perfect backdrop for a photo of my husband and son who were also on this trip.

River Liffey and Downtown Dublin

Dublin is a the capital and largest city in Ireland. River Liffey is the divider of the city into the northern and southern parts.

There are so many other parts of Ireland that I would love to see.

I found these photos of the Cliffs of Moher. Aren't these beautiful! I haven't been here but I am adding this to my bucket list.

photo credit:: https://unsplash.com/@greene

photo credit :: https://unsplash.com/@jamesbutterly

Hopefully, I will get a return trip here. Where would you pick to visit in Ireland?